Ternate, A Place for The Brokenhearted

“Pak Rahman, if you see my number on your phone display and I ask you to pick me up at the airport here in Ternate, it means, I’m brokenhearted. Be considerate. Entertain me. Don’t make me sad. Okay, Pak!”

Pak Rahman, my driver in Ternate, smiled upon hearing what I said. Mama, Bu Elly, and Bu Cici who were sitting at the back couldn’t hold their laugh.

That’s Ternate to me, a sweet escapade for the brokenhearted. 😀

Ternate was the second destination of my Saga Trip 2015. And one of (only) few destinations I barely moved on from.

The trip started with the moment the plane was about to land. To be frank, it was quite a nightmare for me. I sat on the aisle seat and couldn’t see the ground to where we’re about to land. The only landscape I could see was the ocean. Yes. The ocean. Only water. Everywhere. So when my feeling said that the aircraft tires almost hit the runway but all I could see was water, that’s pretty much scary. It felt like the plane was about to crash. I chanted every chant.

As I stepped out of the plane, turns out the runway is indeed at the side of the ocean. And thanks to my limited height, I couldn’t see the edge of it; so in my sight, only the ocean was there and we were about to land on the ocean. -___-/sigh/

Ternate greeted me with a stunning blue sky, green mountains, and clear blue water. It was love. I rushed to the baggage claim to take my suitcase. It was still early and although I ate onboard, who could resist a Ternate breakfast invitation? So off we head to the famous Nasi Kuning. And that, my friend, how I started to have a strong relationship with Cakalang. Hihihi.

Cakalang, is Ternate’s famous fish. Well, it is also Manado’s famous fish but they cook it differently. Cakalang in Ternate- Google Translate translates Cakalang as Tuna, but I doubt it, it doesn’t look like Tuna; well, or maybe it belongs to the same family with the Tuna, I don’t know. Anyway, let’s move on! – tastes so fresh and sweet. In my exaggerated words: you can feel the sea just by taking a bite of the Cakalang! Hihihi. People of Ternate use Cakalang in almost all of their dish. When you see a fish on the table, you bet it’s Cakalang – although, actually, there are other fish available there, but clearly, Cakalang is DA BOMB!

Ternate is fairly small, we went around and checked most places on our list in just a half day! Can you imagine? HALF DAY! That’s equal to take a U-turn in Jakarta and find parking lot available in the mall in Kuala Lumpur! 😛 We went to buy some white iron jewelries (Ternate’s famous product), then off to Benteng Tolukko (Fort Tolukko) to enjoy the scenery. In this fort did I realize that Ternate is a great getaway for the brokenhearted. The serene scenery it has makes all heart melts. Ternate, in general, is still not very crowded so you basically can spend time just sitting on your own and crying (if you want). Or just being grateful that you’re not in a relationship again, although I agree, no matter how bad the relationship is, losing it cracks the heart.

In Ternate, you are free. Free to free your heart and prepare it for new people to care about.

After Benteng Tolukko, we continued our journey to Batu Angus Kulaba. Batu Angus Kulaba, spread from the foot of Mount Gamalama juts into the sea, is a field filled with black big rock formation spread all over the place. Batu Angus means burnt rocks. They were the rest of the lava eruption of Mount Gamalama from the 17 century ago. The lava has turned into a solid black rock which creates an amazing scenery in contrast with the blue water and bright blue sky. Mount Gamalama is still standing at the back, looking proud and tough.

Again, if you’re brokenhearted, prepare some snacks and head to Batu Angus Kulaba. Spend times on your own, munching the snacks. Hihihi. You’ll feel the serenity. Don’t ever think of dropping yourself to the sea, because life is too beautiful and you just haven’t seen it. The best is yet to come. Keep that in mind. 😉

We finished our time giggling and laughing and taking tons of pics at Batu Angus Kulaba. The sun shone even brighter and we continued heading to the fourth place: Pantai Sulamadaha (Sulamadaha Beach).

Pantai Sulamadaha is the ultimate-most-famous beach in Ternate. This is where you can have Pisang Mulut Bebek to accompany you wondering about things. Sit on the bench, order the food and coconut water, and enjoy the solitude. The beach, I must say, is nothing spectacular. But what’s interesting about Pantai Sulamadaha is actually not the front beach. Here’s a tips: take the left side pathway and walk for about five minutes and you’ve come to the secluded part where the greatness takes place. In there, you can find a small bay with clear blue water and shallow basin full of colorful soft corals! Rent a snorkel gear and snorkel relaxly because, why not. You can’t leave such view out of sight, no? 😀 Or if you’re too lazy to snorkel, you can rent a canoe and enjoy the time going around the bay. If you meet several locals, talk to them, make new friends, get onto the canoe and paddle together. Ternate people are so kind and familiar. Don’t hesitate to say hi.

Still too lazy to paddle? Rent a (tire) tube, hop on it, and just enjoy the time and sunbath! 😀 If you’re feeling a little adventurous, rent a boat and head to Teluk Nita (Nita Bay) and or Teluk Hol (Hol Bay) where you can go snorkeling (again) or just laying down on the soft sand, looking at the blue sky, imagining the what-ifs. 😛

Ternate is indeed a beautiful place. It is small, authentic, full of love. For the brokenhearted, I believe spending times in Ternate will ease the pain as well as mend it. And if it can give such a great impact to the brokenhearted, guess what will Ternate does to the lovers. 😀

I didn’t go as a brokenhearted, yet I’m back as a bubble of love. Ternate has gotten my heart. ❤